THE COUNTIES OF FOKFAR AND KINCARDINE. 167 



month or so before the rams are let loose, and during all the 

 time they are out, the ewes are kept on the best grass on the 

 fann, a little rape being provided for them when possible, the 

 object being to put the ewes into a rapidly improving condition 

 at the rutting season. This, Mr Buttar finds, has a powerful 

 influence in increasing the crop of lambs. When witliin about 

 six weeks of the lambing time the ewes get a supply of turnips, 

 about 1 ton to the 100 ewes per week ; when turnips are scarce, 

 a little bran or brewer's grain is given. The ewes are thus 

 strong for the lambing and full of milk, which gives the lamb an 

 excellent start. During the whole season the extra food is con- 

 tinued, each ewe and its lambs getting, in boxes on the fields, 

 about 2 lbs. a day of a mixture of bran, linseed, and cotton cake, 

 and some bruised oats. By this liberal system of feeding, the 

 ewes and lambs fatten at the same time, and go away together, 

 the last being usually sent away about the end of June or first of 

 July. The cost of the feeding from the time the ewes are bought 

 in, say the 15th September to the end of January, is about 4d. a 

 head per week, and from the 1st of February to the end of June, 

 by wdiich time both ewes and lambs have been fed and slaughtered, 

 about Is. a week for each ewe, including what the lambs con- 

 sume. In a specially good year two lambs are reared for every 

 ewe ; this was done on Corston last season ; but the average is 

 about three lambs for every two ewes — 300 lambs for 200 ewes. 

 The lambs sell at an average of about £2 a head ; they often 

 bring more; while, including the wool, the ewes bring about 10s. 

 a head more than their purchase price. This would give an 

 income from the 200 ewes of about £700 to meet feeding and 

 other expenses — a profitable transaction certainly. And in 

 addition to this, it should be remembered that, through such 

 liberal feeding on the fields, the land must be greatly enriched. 

 Mr Buttar keeps about fifty pure-bred Sluopshire ewes, and 

 rears his own tups. From experience he has been led to use 

 none but tup lambs among his half-bred ewes, allowing one tup 

 for every 30 ewes. Several other farmers throughout the two 

 counties also pursue a liberal and skilful system of rearing and 

 feeding cross-bred ewes and lambs, and as a rule it leaves a 

 satisfactory profit. 



In Forfar there are several verv fjood flocks of Border 

 Leicesters, notably those belonging to the Earl of Dalhousie ; j\Ir 

 Cowe, Balliousie ; ^f r Goodlet, Bolshan ; ^Ir Lyall, Old 

 Montrose; and Mr Taik)r, Bed Castle, Arbroath, and others. 

 Lord Dalhousie's flock numbers about eighty ewes, of the best 

 strains in the country. Mr Cowe's stock, numbering over fifty, 

 are descended from five very fine ewes, selected fifteen years ago 

 from the flock of the Messrs Clark, OUIhamstocks. Botli tliese 

 flocks sliow excellent breeding, good shapes, and fine quality. 



